Resolutions
by Bubbly722
Summary: This is a story about taking risks and finding love.Even if it is forced on you by your pixie roommate,who edited your resolutions,made you cliffdive in december,after you had been drunk the previous night.Yeah, you think your life is crazy, read about me
1. Chapter 1: The List

**SUMMARY:**** Bella and Alice make resolutions list and have to complete them by the new year or else. . . Now, it's two days before and Bella realizes she hasn't complete all of the resolutions she thought she made. With help from a certain someone, Bella tries to complete the list by midnight on New Year's Eve. But will she get more than the thrill of new experiences? AH. M for safety**

**Hi everyone!**

**A new story for the New Year.**

**The summary really can't cover what this story is about.**

**This came to me yesterday out of the blue and I couldn't stop writing. I'm just blowing off a little steam.**

**I'm not sure about the rating it could be T or M but I'm not sure. It might change to M, depending where the story goes.**

**(I'm not going to write a lemon, but if someone else wants to and submits it to me, I would be happy to post it, along with credit to that person. Which would change the rating)**

**A big thanks to my Beta, 2-10-11eyesFINGERStoes. She was amazing and corrected this on New Year's Eve!**

**This is my first AH, so tell me how I did.**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

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BPOV

It was two days before New Year's Eve and my best friend, Alice and I had just returned from shopping for our New Year's party dresses.

Alice and I shared an apartment together on the outskirts of Seattle and were finishing up college at the University of Washington this year. She was a fashion major and I was a English major.

Even though Alice and I were roommates and best friends, we were like night and day. While Alice was a five foot pixie obsessed with shopping and partying, I was a 5'4" mousy girl that was mainly a recluse and preferred to stay home and read. Alice had grown up in New York with her highly successful adoptive parents, Carlisle and Esme, who had more money than God. While I grew up first in Phoenix with my mom, Renee, and then moved to Forks, Washington - one of the smallest towns in America - with my dad, Charlie, after my mom got remarried. Despite the differences between us we were closer than sisters.

"Bella!" Alice called from her huge walk-in closet. "Could you come here for a minute?"

"Why, Alice?" Most of the time when she calls me from her closet, she is planning on attacking me with shoes, dresses, and purses.

"I need your opinion on something." It didn't sound like a trap, but you never know with Alice.

I got up from my seat on the chocolate suede couch we had in the living room and walked down the hall to Alice's bedroom. I opened the door to see Alice's room the way it usually is - messy. There were clothes strewn all over the floor, the bed was unmade and several different plates and a cereal bowls were resting on her nightstand.

"Jeez, Alice. Don't you ever clean your room? It looks like a garbage dump in here," I shouted to her while struggling to climb over several piles of books on her floor.

"Well, we just had finals, so I haven't exactly had free time lately." She popped out of the closet holding two dresses, setting them on the bed.

"We've been on break for over a week now," I reminded.

"And how often in that past week have I been home?" I knew it was a rhetorical question. Over break, Alice's routine was to sleep during the day and party at night. "Anyway, I need your help deciding between these two dresses for tonight's party at Angela's.

I walked to the bed and saw a teal strapless dress with ruffles going from the bust down and it ended a little above the knees. The next dress was black and completely covered in sequins and ended a little above the knee also. Both dresses would look spectacular on Alice, with her supermodel looks. Secretly, I did ennie-meanie-mineie-mo in my head and chose the teal one.

I turned my head to the side like I was truly assessing the dresses before responding.

"Are you sure?" she questioned. Alice had a way of knowing when I was being honest with her and at times like this it wasn't helpful.

"Yes. Now, go find some shoes to match in that mall of yours." I gestured to the closet and her face lit up with a huge grin, like it always did when she thought of shoes. I swear she had more shoes than Carrie from _Sex and the City._

An instant later, I heard a giant crashing of boxes and ran into the closet. There, I saw the most comical sight. Poor, little Alice, laying on her butt with shoe boxes covering her. I started bursting out in laughter while Alice glared at me.

"Yeah, you think it's funny now, wait until it happens to you," she snarled at me.

"I'm . . . sorry . . . Alice," I sputtered out while taking another look at her pissed off face. "Are you . . . okay?" I asked, trying to regain composure of myself.

"Yes, no thanks to you," she muttered picking herself off of the ground and pushing the boxes aside.

"What happened?" I asked, having remaining giggles in me.

"I was just trying to reach one of the boxes on top, so I climbed up the shelves, and when I reached for it, the rest of the boxes slipped off with it."

This started a new round of giggles in me and Alice rolled her eyes and started picking up the other boxes.

After I had finished laughing, I bent down to help Alice collect all of the boxes. After ten minutes, we had most of the boxes put back on the shelf.

"Hey, what's this box?" I questioned, picking up a pink beaded box that looked slightly familiar.

"Oh!" Alice gasped. "I haven't seen that thing in ages! Don't you remember, Bella?"

"No." I turned over the box to Alice and she opened it up, revealing a piece of paper.

"Remember last year, we wrote down our New Year's resolutions and put them in a box to save for this year. We had to complete all of them by this New Year or we had a consequence to pay," she explained, unraveling her piece of paper.

"Oh, right." Now it dawned on me. Our lives were a bit slow at the time and we wanted to have more fun with the New Year, so we created the lists.

"Buy a pair of Manolo's . . . check. Get invited to a Hollywood party . . . check. Get a boyfriend . . . check. Dress up like Dolly Parton for Halloween . . . check," I heard Alice mumbling.

I could tell Alice was wrapped up in her list, reminiscing, so I went to find my list. I think it was under a loose floorboard in my room.

I crossed the hallway to my room and threw back the rug that was on the ground. I found the knot in my floor that allowed me to pull the board up and lifted it. I found a blue beaded box similar to Alice's and pulled it out of the crevice.

It was quite dusty, so I blew off the dust and then opened it. There was a small square piece of paper folded, resting in the satin lining of the box. Slowly opening the paper I could see a long list. The first three items were in blue ink, but the rest was in black.

_Resolution's List_

_Complete all of Jane Austin's books_

_Buy a laptop_

_Organize books by author_

_Get completely wasted at a party_

_Sing or dance on a stage (could be a bar if necessary)_

_Drive at least fifteen over the speed limit in a sports car (If you are driving, don't do it while wasted)_

_Go sky diving, bungee jumping, or cliff diving_

_Go skinny dipping_

_Walk around the city at two in the morning with no shoes on_

_Get a boyfriend (or laid, whichever floats your boat)_

_**If you do not complete all of these by the next year, all your books are being given to the Salvation Army.**_

Okay, the first three I remember writing and doing, but where did the other seven come from? That was not me at all. Alice.

"Hey Bella," Alice said smiling from my doorway. "I completed all of my resolutions. How about you?" There was a twinkle in her eye and I could see she had remembered what she wrote on my list.

"All of the ones I wrote," I muttered under my breath while shoving the paper back in the box.

"Aw, come on. It can't be that bad." She was chuckling and came over to the box and pulled out the paper. "Bella, you have to do them. And by tomorrow night no less."

"Alice, I did all of the ones I wrote." I starred at her stubbornly, hoping she would let it rest.

"Then what is this I see. I don't remember you doing four through ten. Unless there's something I don't know about." She said with one eyebrow raised.

"No. All of the ones I wrote are one through three. I completed all of those," I told with a resentful tone in my voice.

"Bella, you are kidding me, right?" Alice got that look in her eye, like she did when I didn't agree with her on something at the mall. "Those are the most boring resolutions I have ever heard of. Including the lady on the Weight Watchers commercials vowing not to think of her weight the day after New Year's. The list was supposed to make our lives fun and exciting, but you still insist on being a loner." Alice was standing above me with her hands on her hips and now I was intimidated - which is pretty odd considering Alice's size. "I have made my life interesting. I have Jasper now, I took an internship over the summer with Marc Jacobs and I will be starting my own fashion line after graduation. What have you done this year to jump start your life?"

I looked away from Alice's eyes, knowing she was right. I hadn't done as much with my time as Alice had. The biggest thing I had done was made it to the top of my class. While that is an accomplishment, it has not made my life more exciting in anyway. Alice took my silence as a confirmation and started talking again.

"Now, I am serious. You have to get out and do these resolutions. You have two days to do them and I think that it is possible to complete them within that time frame. We will start tonight at Angela's party and then work down the list. But I am not doing all of them with you. This is your list, your responsibility." She started walking out the door back to her room leaving me in a daze, but then she turned around again. "Remember, your books are on the line," she said ominously and it sent a wave of chills through me.

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After three hours in the bathroom with Alice, I was finally ready to go out tonight. My hair was curled and looked natural, but it was far from it. My makeup was simple and classic. It consisted of a smoky eye and blood red lip gloss. My dress was one of the ones we found today. Ironically enough, it was called the Bella Tube Dress and was perfect for tonight's occasion. It was bright red matching my lips, had a sweetheart neckline, tied in back leaving a cutout piece exposed, and draped down to my mid-thigh. This is one of the few times I would admit that I looked good. Someone that could stand next to Alice at a party and be equal to her. Unfortunately, Alice insisted on the black pumps to go with it and I could not put up a fight.

"Wow," I commented when I looked into the mirror. "I've got to say this is one of your better make-overs, Alice."

"I know. I did really out do myself on this one, didn't I." There was a smug look on her face while she was applying the finishing touches on her make-up.

Then there was a knock on our door and we both scurried out of the bathroom.

"That must be Rose," Alice said while opening the door.

Sure enough, there stood Rose, the 5'8" blond bombshell. Rose and Alice knew each other through some of their classes and the Marc Jacobs internship - Rose was an aspiring model. Her and Alice were closer than I was with her. I was too much of a bookworm and she was too much of a Paris Hilton for us to work out.

"Hey Alice . . . Bella. Good to see you again," she said with a dazzling smile.

"Good to see you, Rose. I love your dress!" Alice greeted.

"Oh, this," Rose said while looking down at her dress. "I found it last week in New York when I was visiting my parents. I thought it was just the cutest thing."

And it was. The dress was mid-thigh, just like Alice's and mine, but it was covered in gold sequins, had a v-neck, and was definitely made to make a statement.

"Well, that was lucky," Alice said admiring the dress. "We should go now. Angela's party started thirty minutes ago."

We all started to walk out the door before Alice turned around again. "Bella, do you have the list?"

"No, I'll go get it."

While I walked out of the room I heard Alice informing Rose about the list and then I was out of earshot.

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Soon enough, Alice, Rose, and I, were stepping out of Rose's M3 convertible and into the club where Angela was hosting her party.

The room was vibrating with the beat of the music playing and there were people everywhere. Even with the hoards of people, we made it through easily with people moving out of the way for us. We made it to the bar easily and got stools.

"So, Bella, looks like we should get started on that list of yours," Rose said with a smirk.

It just so happened that the bar tender walked past us just then and Alice got his attention. The bartender was average height, with blond, spiked hair that had too much gel in it, and a cheesy yellow smile.

"Hello," he said with a weird tone in his voice. "I am Mike. What can I get for you ladies, tonight?"

"Could we have a round of shots?" Alice asked glancing at me and laughing. I'm sure I looked like a frightened doe.

The bartender got a devilish smirk and got salt, lemons, and the glasses out. He poured the tequila and gave me a wink. I shuttered away from him and grimaced.

He finished with us and said, "Tell me if you need anything else tonight." His tone implied something else and he was looking directly at me when he said this which caused me to I shutter again. Thankfully, he walked away and left us with our drinks.

"Okay, why don't we each take the shot at the same time," Alice suggested.

We each licked our hands and poured the salt on and then licking it off.

"On the count of three," Rosalie said. "One . . . two . . . three." We each threw the shots back and I grimaced at the taste and the burning going down my throat.

"Bite the lemon, Bella," Alice urged, seeing the grimace on my face.

I did as I was told and the lemon taste helped balance out the tequila. I knew that with a couple more of these I would have the number one on Alice's list completed, but I figured I would take the night slow and build up to it.

All of a sudden, Jasper-Alice's boyfriend and Rosalie's brother-came up behind Alice and snaked his arms around her waist. Alice turned around and threw her arms around his neck, barely making it because of how tall he was. Jasper was over six feet and had longer, blond hair like Rosalie.

"Hello," Alice said with a smirk, that made me not want to know what she was thinking. "Are you here with the guys?"

"Yeah," Jasper replied with grin. "Emmett and Edward are on the dance floor already. They should be coming over here any minute."

I knew Emmett because he was Rose's boyfriend, but I had never heard of Edward before. Usually the guys Jasper brings around - besides Emmett - are men that Alice thinks would be good for me. Most of the time it ends up with me talking with them a little and then taking a cab home, while Alice and Rose go home with Jasper and Emmett. I'm sure this would be no different.

Rose got up from her seat and headed onto the dance floor to find Emmett, I assumed. This left me with Alice and Jasper snuggling into each other and whispering in each others ear. Personally, the whole situation was making me sick, so I decided to order a Apple Martini from a bartender that wasn't Mike.

Once I had received my drink, Rose and Emmett were approaching with another man with bronze hair trailing them.

"Belladonna!​​" Emmett called out to me when he saw me.

He could never get over the one time we were watching _Practical Magic_ and I had a major allergic reaction to something on the pizza, right at the part they said Belladonna. Now, it has become my nickname.

"Emmett!" I greeted back. Even though Emmett could embarrass a person - mainly me - to death, you could never stay mad at him.

He made his way over to me and pulled me into a back crushing hug. "How's it hanging?" he asked with a giant smile plastered across his face.

"Good," I replied enthusiastically, having some of Emmett's energy rub off on me.

"That's great. Bella, I want you to meet Edward." Emmett gestured to the man with bronze hair. "Edward, this is Bella."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Edward Cullen." Edward stepped up to shake my hand and smiled at me.

"It's nice to meet you too. I'm Bella Swan," I responded. Edward was good looking, I guess. He was tall, but not as tall as Jasper. He had messy, bronze hair and bright green eyes.

Just when Edward was about to say something, Alice came over and pulled me onto the dance floor. I shot Edward a remorseful look and I could tell he understood.

Once we had reached the middle of the mass of bodies, Alice turned around and started talking to me.

"So, what do you think about Edward?" she said excitedly.

"He's alright," I said nonchalantly. "I don't think he's my type though."

Alice stared at me like I was a moron. "Bella, you have got to be kidding me. He is drop dead gorgeous, and you haven't even talked to him for over thirty seconds. How would you know if he was your type or not?"

"Exactly. He is gorgeous and gorgeous people usually like to party. Look at you and Rose. Does that really sound like me?"

Alice looked outraged now and I was starting to regret what I said. "For one, Wow. That was a stereotypical statement. Two, so you think Rose and I are Paris and Nikki? We're not sluts, you know-"

"I didn't mean that you were!" I interrupted, trying to repent for my words.

"Don't interrupt me," she said with venom. "Anyway, he is your type. I have a feeling about this. He is your match."

"Yeah, you said that about Eric the cable guy too. Don't see him around, do you?" I muttered under my breath, not wanting to make her any more mad than she was.

"Now," Alice said calmly. "Let's go back to the rest of them." Alice straightened her dress and walked back through the crowd to the bar with me trailing behind her.

I walked back to the back next to where Edward was standing. I smiled up at him to appease Alice and finished off my martini.

Rose and Alice had went off onto the dance floor with their guys leaving me with Edward.

"So, Edward, how do you know Jasper?" I asked trying to start a conversation.

"Jasper and I are now roommates and we used to go to high school together," He said sweetly, turning to face me. "He is completely in love with Alice. It gets annoying when she's not around because that's all he talks about."

"Alice is the same way," I chuckled. "You should see her getting ready for one of their dates. She is a total lunatic."

Edward chuckled a musical laugh and we continued on talking about different things. I found out he was a aspiring doctor, he is a pianist, and almost became a professional performer. I told him what little there was to know about me and I was beginning to like him more.

"So, I heard Alice informing everyone on your list of resolutions. Tonight you are planning on completing the first one?" He asked, highly amused.

"Yes, I am. And if you wouldn't mind, can you make sure I don't do anything too stupid. I'm sure the rest of them would love to make fun of me for it."

"I can't make any promises." He looked at me with a crooked grin and it made me blush.

"Okay, but can you please make sure that Mike the bartender stays away from me?" I asked pleadingly. Mike seemed like one of those creeps that would take advantage of a girl who was drunk.

"Now, that . . . I might be able to do," he said with a devilish glint in his eye. "But for now, lets get you started on completing your list."

I rolled my eyes and he ordered us two drinks, but I had no idea what mine was.

I took a sip and was taken aback by how strong it was.

"It will get you good and drunk, fast," he said noticing the shock on my face. I nodded my head in agreement and started drinking more of the concoction. Soon, he was leading me onto the dance floor to where the others were. Everything was going a bit fuzzy but I continued with it anyway.

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EPOV

I was leading Bella onto the dance floor where everyone else was. I could tell that she was drunk and I took a tight grip on her wrist to make sure she didn't fall. We made it over to the rest of the group relatively unharmed. A few jostles from people here and there, but not too bad.

"Hey, Edward," Emmett called cheerfully. "She out of it yet?"

"Pretty close," I called back, taking a look at Bella.

When Jasper invited me out tonight saying that Alice wanted me to meet her friend, I wasn't too sure. But when I saw Bella, I thought she was stunning. Me and the rest of the male population that was around her were practically drooling at the sight of her in the red dress. The fact that she was smart made me attracted to her even more. She wanted to be a writer, was at the top of her class at Washington State, and she volunteered once a month to read to kids at the hospital. I knew she wasn't going to be another Tanya. She wasn't one of those fakes who liked guys just because of their money.

Soon, I started dancing with her and it felt nice having her in my arms. She stumbled many times, so I had to keep an arm around her but I could tell that was mostly from the alcohol. After dancing two songs, we both figured that for her safety we should stop and go find a seat somewhere.

Emmett came up behind her, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Belladonna, how about another shot?" he asked highly amused.

"Emmett . . . I don't think that's a good idea right now." I said hesitantly noticing Bella swaying slightly on her seat.

"No, it's fine, Edward," she slurred out waving a hand randomly. "I need to get good and wasted like it says on the paper."

"That's my girl!" Emmett called out and asked a for a shot from one of the bartenders.

"Bella, I think you already are wasted," I said trying to persuade her to not have the drink. She could get seriously injured if she had more.

"NO I'M NOT!" she protested crossing her arms under her chest, pushing up her cleavage slightly.

I could tell it was a lost cause, so I figured I would let her have this one drink and then keep her away from Emmett.

Emmett was giggling like a school girl next to her while she took the shot.

"Emmy-bear," she slurred. "Why are you so big? You are as big . . . as big . . . as big as a bear!" Her eyes got really wide and then she started giggling incessantly.

Emmett's face lit up and he started laughing too. "Well, Bella, maybe I am a bear!" Emmett exclaimed in mock horror.

"A BEAR! REALLY?" Bella said surprised. "Are you a teddy bear?"

"I'm Rose's teddy bear." Emmett's face was going to explode if his smile got any bigger and I could tell he had something else up his sleeve.

"Aw," Rose said coming up behind him and shrugging into his side. "Well Bella's a goner." Rose was looking at Bella who had recently fallen off her bar stool. I helped her back up again and I started supporting her so she didn't fall again.

Alice and Jasper soon made there way back to us again and both got an eyeful of Bella.

"I think we should take her home now," I suggested to them.

"Wait, we need to do one more thing before we can leave," Alice said while giving a signal to the DJ. "Bella needs to dance on the bar. It's one of her resolutions."

Emmett threw his head back in laughter and Jasper started snickering.

"Alice, Bella can barely stand, let alone dance." I glanced down at Bella who looked slightly confused at everything going on.

"I CAN TOO DANCE!" Bella argued glaring at me. "I will prove it."

Just as the song _Boom Boom Boom _by the Vengaboys started playing, Bella hopped up on the bar and started dancing. I was staring up in shock and worry, hoping Bella wouldn't fall off.

"Alice, Rose, get up there with her," I suggested, hoping they would make sure she wouldn't fall.

They did as I asked and soon everyone was crowding up against the bar. There were whistles and hoots from several people and I saw Mike, the bartender, staring up at Bella. I sent him a death glare and he backed off. After I got over my worry, I started to enjoy watching Bella dance up there. She stumbled every now and then but did astonishingly well for a drunk person. The song ended and the three girls jumped down from the bar.

"Seeeeee, I told you I could dance," Bella proclaimed bumping into my chest.

"I guess I was wrong," I said trying to hide the smile that was fighting to form on my face.

"I think we are going . . . to head out," Rose said yawning in the middle of her sentence.

"I think we will too," Alice said. "Edward, I hate to ask you this, but would you take Bella back to your place and Jasper and I will stay at mine."

"No, it's no problem. Enjoy your night," I said clutching onto Bella's waist.

"Thanks a million," Jasper said patting me on the back before heading toward the door. "Alice and I really need this."

I chuckled and nodded, letting the others leave before trying to maneuver Bella out.

We stumbled to my car, taking twice the time it usually would to get there. I was mainly dragging Bella the way now and I could tell she was fading fast.

"Okay, we're almost there," I said hoping I could coax a little more life out of Bella.

"M'kay," she said looking up slightly. She stopped dead in her tracks staring.

"What? What's the matter?" I asked frantically.

"Is that your car?" She pointed to my blue corvette that was parked in front of us.

"Yes, it is. Do you like it?" I was shocked that she liked it. Most of my other girlfriends were scared to ride in it, but liked the flashy appearance it had.

"I love it." she quickly hobbled her way over to the car and spread her torso across the hood, hugging it to her. "So beautiful," she murmured.

"Do you want to get in the car?"

"Not yet. A minute more with Brenda."

"Brenda?" I questioned wondering where that name came from.

"Yes. Brenda. She's the car," Bella whispered. "She's sleeping right now."

"Oh, okay," I said while grabbing Bella's arm and leading her towards the passenger side door. "I think I know how to wake her up."

I strapped Bella into her seat and then got in on the drivers side. I turned on the car and Bella's eyes got wide.

"Betty, you woke up!" Bella's eyes went wide and a smile spread across her face.

"I thought it was Brenda?" I asked comically.

"No, it's Barbie. Jeez, keep up, Edward." She sunk back into her seat and rested her head against the head rest.

"My bad. So what else is on the list for you to do?"

"Skinny dipping, cliff diving, walk around the city with no shoes on . . . go twenty over in a sports car and something else," she said yawning and closing her eyes.

"I think I could help you with going the twenty over in a sports car, but you have to stay awake." I hoped I would get more chances to figure Bella out.

"Okay, but make it soon." Bella sat up a little straighter in her seat and I turned onto a side road.

I started accelerating the car more and more and I could see Bella perking up. The sound of the engine was getting louder and you could feel the speed as I accelerated even more. I glanced over at Bella who had a beautiful smile across her face.

"This is so . . . fun," she said watching things pass by the window quickly.

"That's part of the reason I love this car. What are some things you love?"

"Um. . . books," She sank back into her seat and closed her eyes again. "Maybe even you," she whispered the last part and I wasn't even sure I heard her right. I hope so, though.

I could tell that she had passed out and I turned on the radio quietly.

The rest of the ride was dull. Bella turned once in awhile, but nothing else really happened.

We arrived at my apartment and I unstrapped Bella from the seat and picked her up carefully, cradling her in my arms. I carried her into the elevator and held her until we reached the door to my apartment. I set her legs down carefully and reached into my pockets, grabbing my keys. I slowly unlocked the door and then picked Bella up again. I carried her into my bedroom and rested her on my bed. I cautiously took off her shoes and then pulled back the blanket, lifting her legs, putting them under the comforter and then pulling the comforter up again so it was covering her.

I looked at the sleeping angel in my bed and admired her beauty. I felt like one of the luckiest people in the world. I kissed her forehead and started to walk towards the chair that was in the corner of the room.

"Edward," I heard the angel whisper "Edward."

I thought she had woken up but realized she was just sleep talking. My heart fluttered a bit and a smile formed on my face. She was thinking of me.

This one was different, I could feel it.

I rested in the chair trying to stay alert, just in case she needed me, but succumbed to the tiredness washing over my body.

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**A/N: There will be more chapters to come, but I can't guarantee that they will be as long as this one. I usually write a lot less than this. This is my longest chapter, weighing in at eleven pages! I'm so happy. I hope to have the next chapters up soon. If people don't review, though, I might think this story is crap and not update anymore. So, you have to let me know you are reading.**

**Links for the dresses and the corvette can be found on my page. For some reason, Bella's dress isn't coming up properly. If that happens, type BELLA TUBE DRESS in the search box on the corner of the page, and it should come up.**

**Have a safe and happy New Year!**

**~Bubbly722**


	2. Chapter 2: You're Kidding Me, Right?

**Hi everyone!**

**This chapter is dedicated to my friend Alex. Thanks for the car info and I wrote a part of this chapter for you. **

**Thanks to my beta, 2-10-11eyesFINGERStoes**

**Read the bottom A.N. It's very important to the continuation of this story.**

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BPOV

I woke up in an unfamiliar bed, with a searing pain shooting through my head. I groaned once, pulling the pillow over my head, basking in the sweet and unusual smell of the sheets. I heard a chuckle coming from the corner of the room and my head shot up, causing another sharp pain to shoot through my head.

"Good morning," a melodic voice said.

"It's not so great right now," I mumbled, sitting up more.

My eyes adjusted and I saw that Edward was sitting in a leather chair in one corner of the room. He was wearing his clothes from yesterday, but they were rumpled. I was on a large, wooden bed in the middle of the room. I looked down to see myself still in my dress, but I couldn't be so sure of what happened.

"Um . . . we didn't . . . did we . . ." I tried starting the sentence several different times but couldn't find the right wording.

"Did we do it?" Edward asked, guessing my question. "No."

I let out a sigh of relief and let my mind move to other questions. What was I doing here? How did I get here? What happened last night?

I didn't know which to start with first. I started trying to remember what happened yesterday, but found that a fruitless attempt.

"Do you want to know what happened last night?" Edward asked again. It was like he was a mind reader or something.

"Yes, if you don't mind."

"Well, you got yourself wasted because of your list. Ended up completing two more of your tasks, if that is any consolation. Then, Alice and Jasper wanted to go back to your place, so I took you here for the night." Edward started moving towards my bedside and handed me two pills and a glass of water. "For the headache."

"Which three resolutions did I knock off the list?" I asked, scared of the answer.

"Other than obviously getting wasted. Driving in a sports car going fifteen over the speed limit and . . . dancing on a bar."

I grimaced at the end of his sentence and gulped down the water. "How bad was it?"

"It wasn't too bad. It was actually pretty good for a drunk girl."

"Thanks," I mumbled while blushing and taking another gulp of the water.

"Anything else I should know about?" I prayed that there wasn't, but I very rarely got wasted, so who knew.

"Don't use the bathroom in there," he said pointing to a closed door to my right.

"Why?" I asked curiously, seeing embarrassment wash across his face.

"Well . . . last night . . . you ran to the bathroom but didn't quite make it to the toilet," He stated hesitantly, waiting for my reaction.

"I didn't!" I exclaimed in horror. Don't tell me I puked on his bathroom floor. This is not my day. "I am so sorry. I will go clean that up right now."

I ripped the covers off of me and started walking out into the hallway, looking for a closet that had cleaning supplies. I think Alice mentioned one somewhere. Edward, followed me out into the hallway and grabbed my waist.

"Bella, you don't have to clean. Just go back to the bedroom," He urged. "Besides, I think Jasper owes me one anyway."

Edward had convinced me and I walked back into the bedroom. Most of the walls were white, except one accent wall, behind the bed, that was a chocolate brown. The wooden bed was modern and sleek, with the fluffiest pillows and blankets I had ever seen. Across from the bed, was a matching dresser with a matching mirror hung above it. I had already seen the leather chair in the corner of the room, that was next to the windows.

"You have a nicely furnished room," I said sitting on the bed. Looking around the room again, it almost seemed too nice. I really hoped he wasn't gay.

"Yeah," he started looking around his room also, before coming to sit next to me. "My mom, Esme, is an interior designer. She always has to design the places I live in."

"That must be nice." I was actually letting out a sigh of relief in my head.

"Sometimes," he said with a chuckle. "You should have seen her when I said she couldn't decorate my dorm room because of my roommate. She went crazy."

I laughed along with him and then started scanning the room for my shoes.

"Looking for something?" He asked observantly.

I was shocked that he always seemed to be in tune to what I wanted. "Um . . .yeah. My shoes," I stated, looking about the room once more.

"They are in the closet – I didn't want you tripping over them on your way to the bathroom." I could tell he was holding back a chuckle and I rolled my eyes at him.

I went to the closet and slid the door open. Inside rested my black pumps and I scooped them up carried them back to the bed.

"Are you leaving so soon?" he questioned with a hint of despair in his voice.

"I have to if I want to complete that list by tomorrow. What time is it anyway?" I slipped the three inch pumps on and looked around for a clock.

"It's 11:30 AM," he stated.

"Already? I never sleep this late. The whole day has gone by," I said in shock.

"I'm willing to bet that you have never been that trashed before either."

He had a point there. "I think I should be going now, if I want to complete all of the tasks on time." I started walking to the door, but he grasped my wrist as I reached for the door handle.

"Why leave now? There is still plenty of time left." There was a tone in his voice that made me want to stay and when I looked up into his eyes the incentive for staying grew even stronger. I immediately looked away and opened up the door.

"I do need to shower and get a change of clothes," I said reasonably.

"Do you really want to go back while Jasper is still there," he said with a smile playing at his lips. Just at that moment, the front door slammed open and Jasper's voice boomed throughout the apartment.

"I'm home!" Jasper called cheerfully walking down the hallway. "Hey, Bella. How's the head."

"It's great," I responded sarcastically. "I don't think going home will be a problem anymore," I directed at Edward.

Edward hung his head and let go of my wrist, leaving me free to go. A twinge of guilt crossed my body and I looked back on Edward again.

"If you want, I could get ready at my place and then we could complete the list together?" I suggested. I was surprised that came out of my mouth. Usually, I would have walked away and ignored the handsome, good-looking man that was waiting in the doorway. What has gotten into me?

Edward's head snapped up and he gave me his crooked smile washing away most of the insecurities I felt at inviting him. "I would love that," he responded enthusiastically, while walking me out.

"Okay, meet me at my apartment around 12:45. Don't be late." I opened up the door to leave but forgot one very important aspect. How am I going to get back to my apartment? I looked out the door and then back at Edward who had an oblivious look on his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked confused.

"I don't exactly have a way to get home. Do you think you could drive me?" I bit my lip nervously for no reason and I saw Edward's face light up in recognition.

"Oh . . .uh, yeah . . . sorry about that. I forgot that I drove you here," he said quickly, snatching up his keys from the small table that was by the door.

"It's fine." We left the apartment and made it down to his car. I gasped at the sight of the Corvette. Was this his? I don't remember his car. I just assumed it was an old Mazda Miata or something, not a Corvette.

"What's so surprising? You already met Betty yesterday," Edward said laughing. Betty?

"You named your car?" I asked incredulously, stepping to the passenger side of the car.

"No . . . you did." Edward was full out laughing now and there were tears ready to stream out of his eyes.

"You're kidding me, right?" I stared at him in disbelief.

His response was to laugh even harder, muttering something about Brenda. Total confusion would be an understatement right now.

"When I asked you if there was anything else I needed to know, this would have been in that category," I said trying to figure out the other possibilities that could have happened last night. "Was anyone else around?"

"No one we knew," he said coming down from his laughter.

"Great," I muttered under my breath.

"Don't worry about it. It was blatantly obvious that you were drunk, so no one really cares." Edward started the car and peeled out of the parking spot.

"It's nice to see that your so caring." I watched the speedometer climb higher and higher and along with the speed my nerves went higher.

We drove for five minutes until we pulled up to a stop light with a red Trans Am next to us. Edward got a crooked smile on his face again and he winked at me. He was definitely up to something. He revved the engine and I finally caught on.

"NO, EDWARD!" I screamed, "If you race that car, I am calling my father at 10 am on Saturday – the time he cleans his gun – and telling him that I am pregnant with your baby!"

"Just look at who is driving that vehicle, though." His head jerked toward the other car and reluctantly I looked out my window.

"Unbelievable," I said grimly. Driving the red muscle car was none other than Mike the Bartender. He was checking out two trampy girls walking down the side walk.

Mike turned his head and saw us. He smiled at me but then immediately retreated like someone had burned him.

I turned to look at Edward and he had an innocent smile on his face. "Will you let me race him now?" His voice was goading and it would be very easy to give in.

"Maybe," I muttered from my seat. I took one glance back at Mike, and he was picking at something in his teeth. Gross.

I looked back at Edward and he had the most adorable look on his face. It was a cross between a puppy and a baby Panda.

"Ugh! Fine!" I said exasperatedly. "You win!"

"Huh, Alice was right about that," Edward murmured.

The light turned green and Edward revved his engine again. I glanced at Mike and I could tell he got the hint. Mike revved his engine too and we were off. I felt like I was in a movie. Both Edward and Mike were neck and neck at first. Then, Edward let loose and speed up catching the light at the next intersection, while Mike was stuck behind waiting for it to turn green.

"I think you should slow down a little, now," I suggested.

"We are only going 5 over. We went a lot faster yesterday," he said looking at me with hopeful eyes and a coy smirk.

"A) I was drunk yesterday. B) I don't care how fast we went yesterday, this is today, and I don't like it," I protested being my usual stubborn self.

"I am not going to slow down, because deep down I know you like it. Don't try to deny it, because I saw it yesterday when we rode in this car." His face was smug now and he glanced at me with an intensity that made me feel like he could see right through me.

"Don't tell me what I do and do not like!" I sputtered, not knowing how to respond to him. Why is he aggravating me so much?

Edward just shook his head and we continued driving in silence. Soon, we had arrived at my apartment complex and there was an awkward silence between us.

"Thanks for the ride," I whispered out.

"No problem. . . we are still on for later, right?" Edward asked calmly.

"Yes," I responded and reached down to undo my seatbelt. When I reached down to get it, I locked eyes with Edward and he was staring at me intently. It made me a new sort of uncomfortable. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to figure you out," Edward said sincerely, "You are an utter mystery to me."

"Everything about me is in plain sight," I replied softly, stepping out of the car.

"You may say that, but it's not the truth." Edward put the car in gear again and pulled out of the parking lot, leaving me in a stupor.

I stomped up the steps to our apartment and unlocked the door. The majority of it looked the way we had left it.

I looked at the clock that was on the stove which read 11:50. That gave me a little less than an hour to get ready.

I walked down the hallway into the bathroom Alice and I shared and turned on the shower, letting the water heat up. Returning to my room, I grabbed some clothes to change into and headed back into the bathroom.

When I stepped into the shower, the water scalded me, but I soon got used to it, letting it relax my sore muscles.

The smells of the different soaps started to relax me, and my thoughts started drifting to different things. I landed on the topic of Edward and started thinking about what he meant to me. He was cute, charming, smart, and - from the looks of last night - chivalrous, but I'm not sure how I feel about him. Does he like me? Do I really want a boyfriend? I am content right now, why do I need to add a boyfriend into the mix to screw it up. Then I though of Edward. His eyes. His smile. Everything about him invited me in and made me feel safe. No one has ever made me feel that way, that quickly.

Suddenly, a jolt of fear rushed through my body and made me return to reality. I suddenly saw everything clear as day. Edward and I could just be friends. Nothing more. We were too different to be anything else.

Now that the situation was settled, I enjoyed the rest of my shower in peace. Soon, the water turned cold and I had to step out of the shower. Looking at the clock, I saw that it was 12:05, and I rushed back into my room to find clothes. I picked out a pair of dark blue jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a navy blue zip-up hoodie. It might have not been the cutest thing to wear but who was I trying to impress anyway. I quickly dried my hair, bushed my teeth, and ate breakfast. Now, I only had to wait five minutes for Edward to arrive.

* * *

EPOV

After dropping Bella off, I headed back home to get ready myself. I hoped Jasper cleaned up the puke on the floor, so I could take a shower.

I pulled into the parking lot and was soon heading up in the elevator to my apartment. When I threw open the door, I saw Jasper standing there with a bucket and mop.

"Good, you did clean the bathroom," I said jokingly. Jasper grimaced at the comment and shook his head in displeasure.

"How can such a small girl, have so much in her?" he muttered to himself.

I laughed and walked to my room. Throwing my coat on the bed along with all of my other clothes, I stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

While letting the warm water hit me, I drifted into my own thoughts. Today was unseasonably warm – 50ºF – which would be good for us if we were going to go cliff diving.

My thoughts then transitioned over to Bella, who consumed my every sense. The sight of her was breath taking with her soft and innocent look. Her smell was amazing, like wild flowers, almost. The touch of that porcelain smooth skin, sent a wave of fire through me. I couldn't even start to imagine what she would taste like. The only thing that bothered me was why she was trying to push herself away every time we got close. I think I could make her happy, and I am convinced she is the only woman in the world that could make me happy, so why is she running?

I convinced myself, at that moment, that I would not give up on Bella. I would make her stay put one way or another.

* * *

**So. . . what do you think? If you guys don't leave more reviews, I might stop posting. I haven't gotten many responses to this, so you have to let me know. I will only keep on posting if I get at least four reviews for this. Sorry. I hate putting that limit on, but why spend my time on something no one is going to read. Thanks to those who do read this.**

**If I do update, it might take me another week and a half because I have finals next week, so does my beta, and it will take me a couple days to write and a couple days for my Beta to do her job. So, that being said, I really would like to continue this story. It's a blast to write, but the ball is on your side of the court now. You decide. **

**~Bubbly722**


	3. Chapter 3: Taking Risks & Resolutions

**Hello Everyone!**

**I'm back. For one chapter, anyway.**

**A couple days ago I had the urge to finish this story and now I did.**

**I haven't written anything in several months, so this will probably have lots of mistakes. Sorry.**

**R&R

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**

BPOV

I had finished getting ready, and Edward called, saying he was on his way. I was wearing a one-piece blue bathing suit that Alice had picked out for me - as usual - with a long-sleeved shirt and jeans over it.

"Where are you guys going cliff diving?" Alice called from the kitchen.

"Someplace thirty minutes away, a Mt. Ryzyka, I think. It's the only place close enough that we could cliff jump off of. Plus, we can jump of into a hot spring, which is good considering it's December," I replied.

"Yeah, when I was planning the list, I pictured you in Europe with a hot Swedish guy, jumping off the Alps or something romantic like that. Oh well, guess this will make for an adventure too."

"A cold one at that."

Just then my cell phone beeped, and I read a text from Edward letting me know he was out front.

"Bye, Alice."

"Bye, Bella. Get home early so I can help you get ready for the New Year's Party."

Luckily, I was walking out the door, so I can say I didn't hear that last bit of information. I was looking for Edward's blue corvette, but there was only a brown Jeep sitting in the parking lot. It took me a minute before realizing that the man in the brown Jeep was Edward. I felt a little bit stupid.

"Hey," Edward greeted me.

"Hello. Where's the Corvette?" I interrogated.

"I borrowed Emmett's Jeep, since we are driving into the mountains. Mountains and Corvettes don't mix well."

"Well, you could have told me, so I could have avoided that lovely moment we just had."

"I'm sorry if I made you feel stupid," he said mockingly, jutting his lips out in a pout. "Do you forgive me?"

I tried to avoid eye contact with him, so I wouldn't laugh, but I was failing miserably. "Maybe." I started giggling a little, and Edward knew that I had forgiven him.

The rest of the drive was of us trying to make the other person laugh the most. We took a food stop for lunch, but started again when we got back in the car. I had almost won, when we parked at the mountain and Edward cheated by tickling me. "Okay, okay already. White flag," I screamed out.

"Alright, truce. But I still win!" Edward proclaimed.

"You're disqualified because of the tickling."

"Are you sure about that?" Edward questioned deviously, as we both left the car, and he started approaching me, with his fingers in tickling position.

"Um . . . as of now, no. If you tickle me again I will change my mind." I walked as far away from Edward as I could (to avoid the tickling), and walked to the edge of the cliff. The blood rushed from my head as I peered over the side of the precipice. "That is really high," I whispered, stumbling away from the edge.

"It's not that bad," Edward said, looking down. "About thirty feet."

"THIRTY FEET! That's like me . . . times six!"

"Stop being so dramatic. You're not only five feet tall. More like 5 ft. 5 in."

"But still . . ." I said worriedly.

"Bella, it'll be fine. All you have to do is jump; gravity will take care of the rest." Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and I took a couple deep breaths.

"Okay. But I am going to kill Alice when I get home."

"If you want, I will dispose of the body." We both laughed and then took off our other clothes, revealing our swimsuits. I looked around me and for the first time, noticed how beautiful it was. There were high peaks rising all around us with evergreens spotting them in places. The sky was gray with clouds right now, but it cast a nice glow on the mountains. Plus, along with the clouds came a cool breeze that sent the smell of pine around us. It calmed me down significantly. Then my eyes landed on Edward, and my heart rate increased significantly. _No! We can just be friends_!

Edward coughed and snapped me out of my amazement. Really, he had a six pack! This was going to be hard. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be."

"Good. Now take my hand." I grabbed his outreached hand and held on tightly. My head started spinning as I looked down again. "_Please don't pass out. Please don't pass out," _I chanted in my head.

"Don't worry." I could feel his breath right next to my heart as he whispered those reassuring words. Didn't help much with the dizziness. "On the count of three. One . . . Two . . . Thre-"

We had jumped before we could finish the count. It was a great and unusual feeling. The world seemed to stop in the second we were suspended above the earth. It was like we were flying. My heart beat flapping us high above the earth, like wings. For one perfect moment, I was flying with Edward. Then it all came crashing down. It was like we were put on pause for a moment, and then jumped to fast forward. Soon, the water was crashing up around us and we were being dragged down into the basin's depths.

Right after the water swallowed us, it forced our hands apart, and I spiraled downward even more. My hands reached out before me, searching for air. Instead my hip banged into a rock, and my swimsuit was snagged on a ridge of the rock. My hands diligently worked to free my swimsuit from the rock, with no avail. The lack of air was taking its toll on me, and I was becoming desperate. I grabbed onto my swimsuit with all my power, and pulled. My swimsuit tore completely at the seems, but I was free. I swam quickly to the surface, and gasped for air.

Edward broke the surface a second after me and was shocked, but relieved, to see me at the surface. "What happened to you?! You didn't surface after we jumped in, so I thought you were drowning."

"Sorry. My swimsuit got caught on a rock, and I couldn't get it un-snagged." Right at that moment part of my swimsuit floated up in front of me. I grabbed at it quickly and held it down against my body. "That's proof right there," I said hesitantly, trying to cover up the awkward moment.

"Uh . . . Yeah. I guess that can count as your skinny dipping resolution."

"Yep," I confirmed meekly. The water was really warm, and usually I would want to swim, but being practically naked . . . in the water . . . with Edward. "I really want to be able to stay up for New Year's Eve tonight, so do you want to get out of the water now?"

"Sure. Do you want me to get you a towel before you get out?"

"That would be great." Unfortunately, that left me with nothing to do but watch Edward's muscled body swim away. _Just friends, Just friends . . . _

Edward exited the side of the spring, and started running the short trek up to the car. Soon he was back, not only with a towel, but shoes for me too. I swam to the edge and Edward held up the towel for me.

"Thanks." I wrapped myself in the towel and we began walking again.

"I guess Alice was wrong on that idea. It did nothing but hurt you," Edward observed.

"I don't know. There was one great moment." I remembered the suspension over the water and smiled. "Even though I almost died, that one moment was complete bliss."

"So . . . I was right. It was fine."

"Not completely. But knowing Alice she probably planned for my suit to break apart. Luckily, we are only friends."

Edward went still for a moment and angrily said, "Yeah. Just friends."

The rest of the car ride was spent mainly in silence, and Edward had a stern look on his face. I felt uncomfortable, but I stayed in silence anyway. We pulled up to my apartment again and I got out.

"Bye, Edward. I had a good time," I addressed.

He stayed silent and stared straight ahead through the front window. "Yep" was the only response I got from him.

I climbed the steps to my apartment, thinking about it. When I entered my apartment, I was greeted by the sound of blow dryers and clicking heels. "Alice, Rosalie," I called. "I'm back."

"Come into the bathroom," Alice called back. That means they are almost ready, and it's my turn.

I walked into the bathroom, seeing make-up everywhere; Rosalie and Alice were staring in the mirror, Alice in a robe and hair curlers, while Rosalie was in pajama pants and a zip-up hoodie. After a forced shower, it was my turn in the chair. The grooming chair.

"So, how was cliff jumping?" Alice asked.

"Great. Except for the end, the end was weird," I responded.

"What happened?" Rosalie inquired.

"I don't know. That's what bothers me. One minute we were laughing, having a great time. The next, Edward is barely even speaking to me."

"Okay replay the whole trip for me. In detail," Alice requested.

"More like High-Def," Rosalie added. I told them everything that happened, from the car ride up, to jumping to the car ride home - leaving out the detail where my swimsuit floated up.

"After all that, you said that you were glad that you were just friends?" Rosalie asked, almost dumbfounded.

"Yeah. That's what we are." Rosalie and Alice shot each other glances, and went back to work.

"That is weird," Alice spoke quietly. "Well, Bella, go into your room and change, there are clothes on your bed waiting for you."

"Alright," I said and left the room.

* * *

APOV

Bella had left the room and, leaving Rosalie and I to discuss the situation. "You know what she's doing, right?" I questioned Rosalie.

"Yep, but I don't understand it at all. Edward and her are so perfect for each other. Especially after the story she told us today."

"Plus, did you see the glow she had when she walked in." I grabbed at the plastic tubes in my hair and started unraveling them, possibly yanking too hard because of the aggression I was feeling towards Bella. "The deeper she gets in with him, the more she shoves him away."

"She is going to push him right out the door. She may have already, by the way he was acting when he dropped Bella off," Rosalie pointed out.

"Not yet. I am going to talk to Jasper, and make him talk to Edward. If this doesn't work, I am never setting her up again. I will let her be a miserable, old maid." I was getting so worked up, that I slammed the blush I was using down on the counter-top, and it spread everywhere.

"Alice, you have to calm down. I agree with you, except on the old maid part. Just, let's hope this works out."

"Yeah. We can't do much else anyway."

* * *

EPOV

I was still incredibly irritated by what Bella said today. Why is she so set on being friends? I thought we were clicking, but I guess that was only me. I don't want to be the guy that pretends he is in a romance movie. That no matter what, the girl secretly likes me but is hiding her feelings and if I push hard enough, she will reveal her feelings to me. People like Mike disillusion themselves like that, not me. I have tried to woo her, try to get her to like me, but she obviously doesn't' feel the same about me. I can't do much else, so I will just give up. I get the hint, Bella. The game is over.

After I had my revelation, I turned around from the balcony and faced the party again. There was about a hundred people - if not more - here and the party hadn't even officially started yet, although, the music was blaring very loud already. It was so loud that it felt like the bass beating my heart. The party was held on a rooftop restaurant in the city, which was half covered by a roof, and half opened to the world, revealing the city and sky. The tables were all cleared out on the inside, replaced with several couches, leaving plenty of room to dance. The uncovered half was lined by a clear glass fence, which I was leaning on. A foot off the fence was a long, rectangular patch of grass, which was parallel to another rectangular patch of grass. The only difference was that one side of grass had a glass bar placed on the center. The bar was beckoning people to it by changing colors every couple seconds or so, and it was now beckoning me to it.

I approached the bar and was greeted by a bartender who was pouring a flute of champagne. He handed me one, and I was left to my own devices again. Well, that was what I thought until I felt a hardy pat on my back from Emmett. "Hey man, why the long face?"

"No reason. Just thinking."

"Yeah right," a voice from my right said. I looked, and of course it was Jasper. "He's got woman problems."

"That obvious," I responded sadly.

"Yeah, and Alice called a couple minutes ago."

"How does she know?" I asked angrily. "Did Bella say something about me?"

"No, not really, just the usual girl stuff. This usually consists of replaying your whole meeting, leaving nothing out. So Alice and Rosalie know everything."

"So you know that Bella is not interested." It hurt to say that aloud, but it was the truth.

"How could you possibly think that," Emmett said arrogantly. "It's so clear that she likes you."

"Yes, because 'let's just be friends' actually means 'let's get it on'. Come on, Emmett."

"No, Edward," Jasper said sternly. "I agree with Emmett. Bella does like you, but she is pushing you away because she is scared. She has never been a risk taker, and falling in love is one of the biggest risks you can make. If it was me, I would tell Bella how I feel. Show her that I reciprocate the feeling."

"Good thing I'm not you," I said coldly, and walked away. I knew that was a cheap shot and I should tell Bella how I feel, but my mind was already in 'let go' mode. That's all I wanted to do, forget about Bella and move on. That's always how it has been since Tanya.

God I hate that woman. Why did Tanya have to mess with me like that? It had been over five years, and just the sheer memory of her was still tormenting me. My mind was being drawn back into her vortex and I was catching glimpses of our whole relationship. The day we had first met at a museum and spotting her fiery hair from the other side of the room. Several of the intimate moments we had spent, like the time our car broke down in the forest and there was nothing we could do until morning, but watch the stars. Valentine's Day. Then the unfortunate day after Valentine's Day. We had just moved into an apartment together and everything was going smoothly. I had to go out early that day, but I thought I would make it up to her by coming home early and surprising her with a dinner out. I walked into the apartment with a big smile on my face, thinking about the look on Tanya's face when she found out what I had planned. I called out to Tanya and heard a thud coming from the bedroom. I didn't think anything of it, and started my tread down the short hallway to our bedroom. I opened the already cracked door, and saw Tanya sitting on the bed, and a man looking anywhere but at me, standing in the corner. Coward. I was so stunned, I couldn't even move my mouth. Something I regret enormously. There was so much I should have said. But this is what she said:

"Edward, this is not what it looks like." You know when someone says that, it usually is exactly what it looks like. "He was just helping me get the window unstuck." That's why her lipstick was smeared all over her face, and his. At this point, I walked over to the window and opened it with ease. "LOOK YOU FIXED IT!" Tanya said with fake enthusiasm, diverting the attention away from the real problem.

After that, we broke up, she moved out, and I later found out that she had been having an affair with him for awhile. She stayed with me for the money.

As quickly as the sucking vortex wrapped me up, it let me go and I could see Alice, Rosalie, and Bella entering the party. They all looked beautiful, but Bella looked outstanding. Her hair was absolutely straight, and her dress was a sleek black, hugging her body perfectly with one arm covered in a see-through, flowing, mesh sleeve. A modern Greek goddess.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

BPOV

We had just arrived at the party and the crowd was already suffocating me. Alice was pulling me through the crowd, but her efforts were hindered by the shoes she put me in. They were very tall, black patent high heels with silver snakeskin accent. I had already tripped three times and my feet were rapidly turning red.

"Hurry up, Bella," Alice scolded.

"Sorry," I countered. "I should be yelling at you for putting me in these shoes."

She didn't respond because we had reached the guys, and she was already in Jasper's arms. The same goes for Rosalie. The only ones that weren't attacked at the hip were Edward and I. As a matter of fact, we were at the polar end of the others. Edward was barely making eye contact with me. From the time he dropped me off, his hatred only grew. What had I done?

"We're going to go make the rounds, find out who is here. We'll be back in a minute," Rosalie said for her, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper.

"Don't be gone too long." I was almost afraid of the arctic chill between Edward and I.

Soon after they left, Edward and I made our way to the bar. With the memory of yesterday still so fresh in my mind, I decided not to drink, but it was still something to occupy time with Edward.

After the maximum time spent at a bar had passed, I asked Edward to dance and surprising me, he accepted. We moved onto the dance floor and started swaying to the music. Thankfully, things loosened up and Edward and I started small talking. It turned out to be fun.

"Bella, I have to tell you something," Edward said seriously. "I like you. I like you a lot."

The words I was terrified of him saying, had happened. I smiled weakly trying to think of something to say that wouldn't completely devastate him. With the pass of time without a response, Edward caught on and let go of my hips.

"Edward, wait," I pleaded. "It's not that I don't like you. It's just I'm not sure." He didn't hear my message because he had already walked away and morphed into the crowd again. My mood sunk considerably. I spent about two more hours rejecting advances from random - possibly drunk - guys.

Alice and Rosalie came to see what was wrong, once they found out Alice said that I had no problems and that I was just being stupid. I was stunned by her brutality, but she was being honest. I really did have nothing to worry about. I had found a great guy that really liked me and I was sulking. I decided I would walk up to Edward and tell him what was on my mind.

I found him leaning on the fence outside, and I leaned against the spot next to him. "Hey," I greeted meekly.

"Hey," was his curt response.

"I want to tell you that my silence wasn't saying I didn't like you. I just didn't know what to think. I am still not sure how I feel, but I am not saying that I don't not like you." I was so nervous that I wasn't even sure if he understood what I was saying but, I had said it. "Does that make any sense?"

"A little," he said still keeping his controlled tone. "What I got was that you are in middle ground and want me o just sit around while you figure it out. I would be fine waiting if I knew there was a good chance for us, but I don't think you will take that risk. I want you to, but you have been pushing me away since he beginning, and I don't want to wait around for something that may not ever happen."

"Oh," was all I could say. He hit me in a soft spot and all I could o is walk away without him seeing my tears.

"Bella," Edward called from behind me. "I do want you to take this risk."

I walked over to everyone else and Alice became concerned when she saw my watery eyes. "What's wrong?" she said worriedly.

"I told Edward that I wasn't sure how I feel, but I want him to wait for me while I figure it out. He pretty much turned me down."

"This is complicated," Rosalie whinnied. "I get how Edward doesn't want to wait around for you. But he did spring it on you and should give you time to figure out how you feel."

"You do know you just sounded like Dr. Phil." Emmett said jokingly.

"Not now," Alice chided. In the midst of the commotion I heard Jasper whisper to Emmett 'Tanya' and it made me curious.

"Who is Tanya?" I asked. Jasper sighed and Emmett shifted uncomfortably.

"Tanya is Edward's ex," Jasper responded. "We think he doesn't want to wait because he wasted so much time on her, he doesn't want waste any time on anyone else."

I nodded my head in response and started thinking. After making sure I was okay, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper left to the area where people were counting down. They asked me to join, but I didn't want to be suffocated by the mob of people again.

"Ten . . . nine . . . eight . . . " people shouted behind me, while I was leaning against the glass side. "Seven . . . six . . ." Do I really want to spend my new year like this? Alone? "Five . . . four . . ." My answer was no. My head shot up and I knew what I wanted. I wanted love. I wanted life. "Three . . . Two . . ." Even if that meant getting hurt. You won't live life if you keep yourself trapped in a bubble. "ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

I turned around to face the party again and try to spot Edward, but I couldn't see him. I raced through the crowd to find Edward, but there was no one in sight, and I kept tripping with the shoes I was in. Finally I spotted him standing by one of the couches, facing away from me. I tiptoed up to him and grabbed his shoulder. There was no turning back now. I moved in, grabbed his head and kissed him. I kissed him with passion and force. At first he didn't respond, probably in shock, but soon he warmed into it and grabbed me tighter. We were finally on the same page after missing each other so many times.

We separated after a minute, and I saw his green eyes and glorious smile. "Happy New Year," I whispered and kissed him again.

_7 months later,_

It has been several months now, and everyday with Edward has been an adventure. Literally. I have gone skydiving, skiing, paint-balling, and so much more. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Edward, and I are actually planning a trip to Mexico now. Alice is ecstatic that she doesn't have to worry about me being an old maid. I guess I am making up for lost time. It's a good thing too, because I don't want to look back on my life when I am senile and not remember _really _living life. Here's to taking risks and resolutions.

THE END

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**A/N: That's all there is folks. I hope you enjoyed the show. It was a long time coming, and if you story alerted this back in January when it first came out, and are reading this, God bless you. Thanks for not giving up on me. **

**The links for Bella's dress and shoes on my profile.**

**To all the rest, Happy New Year. Take some risks. That's the most important thing I learned in 2009. **

**Love, Laugh, Live**

**~Bubbly722**


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